Author: Inside Hoops

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After slow start to season, Raptors winning a lot lately

The Raptors are hot lately. Via the Toronto Star:

Toronto has been on a torrid stretch as of late, winning nine of their last 12 games and turning their season around after a miserable start…

The Raptors started the season 2-8. The Boston Celtics, labelled by many as a contender in the East before the season, started the year 8-3.

And now? The Raptors currently have a better record than the Celtics.

For the season, the Raptors are 16-15, good for 4th in the East, while the Celtics are right behind at 15-15 for 5th. Their leading scorers are Pascal Siakam at 20.5 points per game, Fred VanVleet at 20.1 ppg, Kyle Lowry at 17.7 ppg, Norman Powell at 17.0 ppg, OG Anunoby at 14.1 ppg, and Chris Boucher at 13.4 ppg.

Spurs basketball set to resume after multiple games were postponed

The Spurs get to play basketball again. Via the Express News:

On Monday afternoon, the Spurs who were able to play basketball and allowed by the NBA to be around the rest of the team congregated at the club’s practice facility.

For most in that rag-tag group of 10, it was the first time on a basketball court since Valentine’s Day.

Five players were prohibited from being in the building under the league’s coronavirus health and safety protocols: Rudy Gay, Keldon Johnson, Derrick White, Devin Vassell and Quinndary Weatherspoon.

Leading scorer DeMar DeRozan was in Los Angeles, on personal leave to mourn the death of his father with his family.

The Spurs last played February 14, beating the Hornets 122-110. Their postponed games were against the Pistons, Cavs, Knicks and Pacers. On Wednesday they play the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

The Chris Finch Timberwolves coaching era begins

The Timberwolves today named former Raptors assistant Chris Finch as their new head coach today. Via the Star Tribune:

The punching bag has been removed. That easy target after every blowout or close loss, the young coach who clearly was overmatched by the job and probably should have never been put in that position to begin with, knowing this experiment was doomed to fail. Because it always fails with this sad-sack organization.

The spotlight now shifts to a level higher in the organizational flowchart. This becomes Gersson Rosas’ mess entirely. He has his coach, his roster, his hand-picked front office, his philosophy on style of play, and his rear end on the line now that he has fired Ryan Saunders.

The clock is ticking. On Rosas. On Karl-Anthony Towns. On the whole operation. But especially Rosas, the Timberwolves president of basketball operations whose brief tenure has been nothing short of chaotic.

Teams sometimes tend to rally when a new coach is brought on. At least for a few games. But real judgment on how a new coach is doing is best started after, say, a month or two at earliest.

Rockets notes, on Feb. 22 matchup with Bulls

Rockets Pregame Notes on Tonight’s Matchup With Bulls

· Chicago’s win on 1/18 snapped a seven-game losing streak to Houston, which was its longest in the all-time series.

· Since losing two straight at home to the Bulls from 1/23-11/16/10, the Rockets have won six of the past seven meetings at Toyota Center.

· Eric Gordon had 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting at Chicago on 1/18 after scoring 9 points on 3-of-9 shooting in the only meeting last season.

· John Wall missed the first games against the Bulls on 1/18… in 23 career games vs. Chicago, he is averaging 19.0 points and 9.0 assists.

Rockets and Bulls Connections

· Rockets forward David Nwaba appeared in 70 games with 21 starts for Chicago in 2017-18 while averaging 7.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 1.5 apg.

· Bulls guard Garrett Temple briefly played for the Rockets during his rookie season in 2009-10… he was teammates with Rockets guard John Wall for four seasons with Washington from 2012-13 through 2015-16… Bulls forward Otto Porter Jr. was also on the Wizards for those final three seasons.

· Rockets guard Mason Jones was college teammates at Arkansas with Bulls forward Daniel Gafford in 2018-19.

Injury/Status Report

· For the Rockets: DeMarcus Cousins (Out – Right Heel Soreness); Danté Exum (Out – Right Calf Strain); KJ Martin (Assigned to G League); Kevin Porter Jr. (Assigned to G League); Victor Oladipo (Out – Right Foot Strain); P.J. Tucker (Probable – Left Quad Contusion); Christian Wood (Out – Right Ankle Sprain).

· For the Bulls: Devon Dotson (Assigned to G League); Chandler Hutchison (Out – Right Lower Leg Contusion); Lauri Markkanen (Out – Right Acromioclavicular Sprain); Adam Mokoka (Not With Team); Otto Porter Jr. (Out – Low Back Spasms).

Rockets News & Notes

· Houston has scored 110+ points in each of the past two games (116.0 ppg) after not doing so in any of the five games prior (98.8 ppg)… the Rockets are 6-5 when scoring 110+ points this season and 5-12 when scoring below.

· The Rockets only have a total of three fewer offensive rebounds than opponents over the past 16 games after averaging 3.1 fewer over the first 12 games of the season.

· Eric Gordon had 17 points at Philly on 2/17, marking his first time scoring below 20 points in his 10 starts this season… he has scored 20+ points in 14 of his 22 games played this season after doing so six times in 36 games played in 2019-20.

· Justin Patton is set to make his Rockets debut tonight after signing a two-way contract on 2/19… in 30 G League games last season, he averaged 12.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.8 blocks while shooting 52.8% from the floor.

James Harden, Damian Lillard named NBA Players of Week

The NBA announced today that Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week and Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from Monday, Feb. 15, through Sunday, Feb. 21.

The honor is Harden’s second as a Net and the 26th Player of the Week award of his career.

Harden led Brooklyn to a perfect 4-0 week, registering averages of 31.8 points on 55.0 percent shooting from the field, 48.6 percent shooting from 3-point range and 80.8 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 9.0 rebounds, 10.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 37.4 minutes per game. He notched four double-doubles (tied for the most in the Eastern Conference for the week), including one triple-double, and ranked second in the East in assists per game, sixth in points per game and was one of just two players in the East to average 30.0 or more points and 10.0 or more assists. Harden began the week by recording his fifth triple-double as a Net (tied for the second-most in franchise history) with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists in 35 minutes in a 136-125 victory at Sacramento on Feb. 15. He followed up that performance by tallying 38 points (his most as a Net), seven rebounds and 11 assists in 37 minutes on Feb. 16 at Phoenix, as Brooklyn erased a 24-point deficit, capped by Harden’s go-ahead 3-pointer with 31.4 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, to earn a 128-124 victory over the Suns. Harden totaled 23 points, five rebounds and 11 assists in 38 minutes in a 109-98 road win over the L.A. Lakers on Feb. 18, and rounded out the week by posting 37 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in 41 minutes in a road victory over the L.A. Clippers on Feb. 21. The four straight wins propelled Brooklyn to a 5-0 record on its West Coast trip, representing the longest undefeated road trip in franchise history. Brooklyn is 13-5 in games Harden has appeared in this season and is currently a half-game back of Philadelphia for first place in the East.

Harden is one of 27 players in franchise history to earn Player of the Week honors and one of two this season, joining Kevin Durant, who captured the award on Jan. 18. Harden is the first Net to earn Player of the Week honors twice in the same season since Brook Lopez in the 2014-15 season.

In his 12th NBA season, Harden has appeared in 26 games this season, including 18 with Brooklyn. In those 18 games as a Net, he’s registered averages of 24.9 points on 50.2 percent shooting from the field, 41.0 percent shooting from 3-point range and 87.8 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 8.3 rebounds, a league-leading 11.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 38.4 minutes per contest.

The Trail Blazers, who have won six of their last seven games, went 2-1 on the week with Lillard posting averages of 36.3 points (43.4% FG, 40.4% 3-PT, 94.7% FT), 5.7 rebounds, 12.7 assists and 1.33 steals. He led the league in scoring for the week and ranked second in assists.

This marks the second time this season and 11th time in his career that Lillard has been named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week. His 11 Player of the Week honors are the most in franchise history (Drexler – 10).

Lillard began the week with 31 points (12-25 FG, 5-14 3-PT, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds and 10 assists at Oklahoma City on February 16. Portland trailed the Thunder by five points with 4:48 remaining in the fourth quarter before closing the game on an 18-2 run that featured Lillard making four three-pointers and assisting on two others. On February 17 in New Orleans, Lillard scored 43 points (14-28 FG, 7-16 3-PT, 8-8 FT) while matching his career high of 16 assists. With 16.5 seconds remaining, Lillard completed a three-point play on a driving layup to deliver a 126-124 Trail Blazers victory. He closed the week with 35 points, six rebounds and 12 assists against Washington on February 20. Lillard has recorded at least 30 points, 10 assists and five three-pointers in each of his last four games, which ties his own mark for the longest such streak in NBA history.

For the season, Lillard is averaging 30.0 points (44.5% FG, 38.5% 3-PT, 93.5% FT), 4.5 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.07 steals. He leads the NBA in 30-point games (18), ranks third in scoring and is tied for eighth in assists.

Timberwolves hire former Raptors assistant Chris Finch as new head coach

Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas today announced he has named Chris Finch as the Timberwolves Head Coach.

“I am excited to announce Chris Finch as our next head coach,” said Rosas. “Chris brings a wealth of basketball experience from his time in the NBA, G League and Internationally. He is one of the most creative basketball minds in the NBA, has success maximizing players, and I am excited to see him bring our team to the next level and beyond.”

“I would like to thank Glen Taylor and Gersson Rosas for this incredible opportunity to be the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves,” said Finch. “I look forward to working hand and hand with Gersson to build and lead a team that Timberwolves fans will be proud of. We have excellent pieces in place and I can’t wait to get to work.”

Known as one of the best offensive coaching minds in the NBA, Finch has coached the likes of Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, James Harden, Nikola Jokić, Zion Williamson and Kyle Lowry.

Finch, 51, has over 24 years of NBA and G League experience, serving most recently as an assistant coach under Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors this season. Prior to that, he made coaching stops with the New Orleans Pelicans as associate head coach from 2017-20, the Denver Nuggets as an assistant coach from 2016-17 and the Houston Rockets as an assistant coach from 2011-16. Finch was named the head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rocket’s G League affiliate in 2009. He led the Vipers to back-to-back G League Finals appearances, compiling a 67-33 (.670) record in his two seasons. After leading Rio Grande Valley to the 2010 G League Championship, Finch received the Dennis Johnson Trophy as the league’s best head coach.

The Reading, Pennsylvania native played overseas in the British Basketball League (BBL) for the Sheffield Sharks from 1993-97 before coaching the same team from 1997-2003. Finch was named the BBL Coach of the Year in 1998-99. He continued to coach overseas for 12 years including in Germany and Belgium.

Finch also served as the head coach of Great Britain’s National Team from 2006-13, where he led the national team in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He also led them to a European Championship berth in 2009 and 2011, the team’s first appearances since 1981.

A Franklin & Marshall College graduate in 1992, Finch was as a two-time All-American, and was inducted into the F&M Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. He started the final 115 games of his collegiate career and compiled a 102-13 record (.887), which stood as the most career wins as a starter in NCAA Division III history.

Timberwolves fire head coach Ryan Saunders

Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas tonight announced the team has relieved Ryan Saunders of his duties as Head Coach, effective immediately.

“We would like to thank Ryan for his time and commitment to the Timberwolves organization and wish him the best in the future,” said Rosas. “These are difficult decisions to make, however this change is in the best interest of the organization’s short and long-term goals.”

Doc Rivers will coach Team Durant in 2021 NBA All-Star Game

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers and his staff will coach Team Durant in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, March 7 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

With tonight’s 112-105 home victory over the Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia (20-10, .667) clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference through games played on Sunday, Feb. 21, earning Rivers a spot as an NBA All-Star Game head coach for the third time. He guided the Eastern Conference in the 2008 and 2011 NBA All-Star Games as the Boston Celtics’ head coach.

Each head coach in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game will lead the team that includes the captain from the same conference. Rivers and his staff will coach the All-Star team captained by the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant. As previously announced, Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder and his staff will coach the All-Star team captained by the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James.

Rivers is in his first season as the 76ers’ head coach after spending the previous seven seasons as the LA Clippers’ head coach. He is Philadelphia’s first NBA All-Star Game head coach since Larry Brown in 2001. Rivers ranks 10th on the league’s career wins list with a record of 963-691 (.582) in 22 NBA seasons. He led the Celtics to the NBA championship in the 2007-08 season.

The 70th NBA All-Star Game is part of NBA All-Star 2021, which will be held on one night, March 7. TNT’s NBA All-Star coverage will begin at 5 p.m. ET with TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax, followed by the Taco Bell® Skills Challenge and MTN DEW® 3-Point Contest starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. Coverage of the NBA All-Star Game will begin at 8 p.m. ET, with AT&T Slam Dunk taking place at halftime.

Rockets sign center Justin Patton from G League

The Houston Rockets have signed Justin Patton to a two-way contract. The center had been playing in the G League for the Westchester Knicks.

After earning Big East Freshman of the Year honors for Creighton, Patton (6-11, 241) was selected with the 16th overall pick by Chicago in the 2017 NBA Draft before his rights were traded to Minnesota. He was most recently with Milwaukee during training camp prior to this season.

In 83 career G League games, Patton has averaged 11.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.0 blocks. The 23-year-old ranked fourth in the G League with 2.8 bpg last season.